Delta’s stylish new uniforms and Missoni accessories

Delta Air Lines has unveiled all-new uniforms that it will soon deploy for its flight attendants, gate agents, lounge workers and ground staff, and TPG was there as the airline put on a fashion show in Atlanta.

Dubbed the “Distinctly Delta Collection,” this fresh look for the airline’s team members has been a long time coming.

The airline says the new look reflects its “ongoing commitment to comfort, confidence and connection.” Employees will start “wear-testing” the new uniforms soon, with a full rollout planned for 2027.

Among the biggest changes: a return to the airline’s signature navy and red colors and an updated employee-favorite wrap dress, plus a new collection for the Delta Red Coats (its elite customer service agents) as well as premium service employees like those in Delta One Lounges. It all comes just in time for the airline’s centennial.

“As we turned 100, we heard loud and clear from our employees, we want to go back to our colors from 100 years ago. So it was really important for us to go back to the colors of the widget. You see it on this aircraft today, of going back to navy, going back to red,” Ekrem Dimbiloglu, Delta’s managing director for uniform and onboard brand experience, told TPG.

While the uniforms themselves are produced by Lands’ End, the ensemble also includes some fresh accessories from Missoni, the Italian fashion house behind the amenity kits you see in the carrier’s high-end Delta One cabin.

Here’s what else we learned on our recent visit to Atlanta to see the new uniforms, meet some of the folks behind the process and learn more about the airline and its employees.

The new ‘Distinctly Delta Collection’ uniforms

Delta put on a full fashion show in the newly renovated Delta Flight Museum, located in the shadow of the carrier’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) home base.

There were 35 Delta employee models and hundreds of Delta workers lining the runway — not to mention an appearance from Delta CEO Ed Bastian.

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“I can’t imagine a better time to be launching this as we are launching our second century of flight,” Bastian told the crowd.

The ‘Above Wing Core’ collection

Delta flight attendants’ and airport customer service agents’ new look will hark back to the airline’s classic blue and burgundy colors. Say goodbye to the plum-colored uniforms passengers see on flights today.

Delta refers to the new hues as “Navigator Navy” and “Boarding Burgundy.”

The biggest applause came as the new wrap dresses appeared on the runway. There was a lot of employee angst when the original 2000s-era wrap dress by designer Richard Tyler was retired, so it was a welcome addition to the collection.

One other notable feature was the inclusion of a maternity version of the various uniform types, including for “below-the-wing” ramp workers.

The ‘Above Wing Elite’ collection

The “Elite Collection,” which is a new concept for Delta, will be worn by premium-service employees in the lounges and in purser or service leader positions on board.

You may even see these smartly dressed folks at priority check-in areas (think the Delta One check-in counter at John F. Kennedy International Airport).

“It was really important that our employees who work with our best customers, and those are customers who have booked into premium cabins, or who, quite frankly, have a loyalty to this brand, that they saw an elevated experience throughout their journey,” Dimbiloglu said. “They’re going to see a through line as it relates to the premium nature of their experience.”

The ‘Above Wing Red Coat’ collection

Delta “Red Coats” have become famous for going above and beyond when it comes to customer service on the ground for the airline. Red Coat employees have been known for having red blazers, but now they get their own full collection of garments, all in what the airline calls “Runway Red.”

New additions include cardigans and a red V-neck dress.

The ‘Below Wing’ collection

Delta didn’t overlook the ground staff.

The clothes for bag handlers, ramp workers, technical operations workers and other “below-wing” workers are all newly designed and built with employee feedback on things like deeper pockets and tougher materials.

The overalls were an especially popular new addition.

An expanding partnership with Missoni

While passengers will find bedding and amenity kits from iconic Italian fashion brand Missoni in Delta One, the airline’s flight attendants will get new Missoni accessories of their own, like scarves, ties and pocket squares.

Related: I flew Delta One on the A350-900 to Australia: Here’s how I booked it for just 73,000 SkyMiles

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DELTA

There’s also a new partnership with the sock company Bombas that will feature special Delta branding elements. Sadly, no images of the new socks are out yet.

It also comes as Delta is undergoing a major branding overhaul, with the London-based brand agency DixonBaxi releasing a major refresh of the brand imagery as Delta celebrates its 100th birthday.

What about the Delta pink dress?

While we didn’t get a look at it, Delta assures TPG that the pink dress, which the airline issues to employees each October to raise awareness and money to fight breast cancer, is also getting a refresh.

“A new shade of Powerful Pink arrives with this collection, as we continue a 20-year partnership with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation,” the airline said in a statement. “Delta people will continue to wear this color with pride every October.”

All this adds up to a farewell to the 2018 Zac Posen-designed uniforms in the signature color of “Passport Plum,” which have received mixed reviews since their debut.

The Delta Flight Museum and a look at the archives

The uniform unveiling took place in the wonderful Delta Flight Museum, and a select group of reporters got a behind-the-scenes look at Delta’s archives of uniforms and other amenities.

Here’s a small sample of the collection.

Related: Delta Air Lines launches new service to Marrakech, Morocco: What it was like on the inaugural

Bottom line

Flight attendants gathered at the unveiling seemed very excited by the new uniforms (especially the return of the wrap dress). Hopefully, since most of Delta’s 65,000 employees have given feedback in the past few years on what they wear, the new looks will be a big hit.

The real test comes in the next year or two as more and more employees test the uniforms in the real world and see how they perform in daily wear. Employees will be monitoring for comfort, durability and safety.

The previous uniforms had many employee complaints, including poor fit, lack of pockets and even that they caused skin reactions and rashes. This time, the employees really drove the design, according to the airline.

“When we were rethinking this new uniform,” Dimbiloglu explained, “we said, ‘What are our guiding principles?’ And for me, No. 1 was listening to our people, and getting that feedback … to me, it was the only way we were going to deliver something that they loved, that also met the mark.”

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